Spreader type applicator for liquid containers



Jan. 13, 1953 D. R. WJLEY SPREADER TYPE APPLICATOR FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Fi led Jan. 22, 1949 DARRELL RQWVILEY Patented Jan. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SPREADER TYPE APPLICATOR FOR LIQUID CONTAINERS Darrell. R; Wiley,- Jackson, Mich, assignor' to Lustur Seal Corporation, Jackson, Micla, a cor-. poration of California v Application January 22, 1949, Serial No. 72,233

2 Claims. (o1, 15- 139) This invention relates to applicator devices of the kind employed to spread fiowable liquid substances upon a desired surface and which comprise a hollow flexible walled body part having a slit through which the substance contained within the body part can be extruded or dispensed onto said surface by pressure applied to the body part to open the slit, the body part being provided with a surface by which the deposited substance gan be spread upon the surface by a wiping acion.

The advantages of these applicator devices for use in applying mucilage have long been'recognized but hitherto the known such devices have been limited in use to the applying and spreading of highly viscous substances of the consistency of mucilage or liquid glue.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an applicator device of the above described kind which is'adapted to the successful application and spreading of relatively freely flowing liquids, such as liquid polishes.

This invention also has for its object to provide an improved applicator device of the above defined kind which has a novel form of spreading surface and disposition of the extruding slit with respect thereto, whereby the device can be employed to apply and spread relatively freely flowing liquid substances, such as liquid polishes, in a well defined and controlled manner.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear clear from a consideration of the following description and claims in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. I is an elevational view of one form of applicator device in accordance with the invention, looking upon the side wall thereof containing the dispensing or extruding slit,

Fig. II is an end view of Fig. I,

Fig. III is a plan view of Fig. I,

Fig. IV is an elevational view similar to Fig. I, but looking on the opposite side thereof, and

Fig. V is a perspective view showing the applicator device applied to a bottle or container in operative position.

Referring to the drawings, the applicator device, in the form of a hollow body part, is indicated generally at It! and comprises a cylindrical portion 12, shaped to receive a container top M as shown in Fig. 'v. The ring i6 and the associated annular groove 18 are incorporated to assist in holding, the applicator It] on the container top H3, especially with the type of bottle neck having a projecting annular bead at its ppermost naw-1d i9 make easier the task of 2 attaching the applicator on any kind of a container top, since the ring and groove add to the flexibility of the'cylindrical portion l2.

Moulded in one piece with the cylindrical portion '52 the body part is formed with a front wall 22, a rear wall 24, the end walls 26, and atop end wall 28. The body portion encloses and defines the cavity 30 which communicates with the open end 32 of the cylindrical portion l2.

The front wall 22 is provided with a transverse slit- 3 which provides communication between the outside of the applicator l0 and the cavity 3%], thereby providing a passage for the flow of liquid from the inside of the bottle neck l4, through the cylindrical portion [2, the cavity 38 and the slit 3G, and out onto the surface upon which the liquid substance is required to be spread. The slit 34 is positioned in the front wall 22 adjacent the top end wall 28, and in slightly spaced relation to the latter as shown.

The spreader surface comprises a number of ribs 38 moulded on the top end wall 28'. These ribs are triangular in shape, and extend edgewise from the wall 23. However, these ribs may be otherwise shaped. The ribs 38 are formed with rear edges 4!) which join the wall 23 at a distance from the edge 42. The rear edges 4!) are thus cut short and do not extend over the edge 42, and thereby quickly and readily identify the rear side of the applicator H] as the side which is not to be placed on the surface to which the substance is to be applied, and the side which will not furnish the liquid through the slit 34.

The front edges 44 of the ribs 38 are shaped to extend out over the edge 48 for a short distance, and overhang the front wall 22, and the slit 34, for a purpose as will appear later. I have found that the thickness of the ribs 38 should be approximate the width of the space between two adjacent ribs, for best results.

The two ribs 38 situated at the opposite ends of the transverse assembly thereof, are formed with their outside walls making a smooth joint with the ends walls 26. Formed as a, forward extension of the latter and positioned on the front wall 22, are a pair of retaining flanges 48 having their upper ends 50 formed contiguous with the lower forwardly extending edges of the outside ribs 38, and tapering oil in a wedge shape below. These retaining flanges function to hold the thin liquid in what amounts to an inverted trough, so that, even though a very fast flow may be obtained, very little of the liquid emerging from the slit 34 will find its way outside the path 3 traveled by the spreader and wiping surface as constituted by the ribs 38.

In operation, the applicator is attached to a bottle or can containing a supply of the substance to be applied and spread, the bottle is inverted, filling the cavity 30 with the substance, and the front edge 44 of the assembly of ribs is brought into contact with the surface to which it is desired toapply the substance with the applicator positioned as shown in Fig. V. The applicator is then wiped over the surface while at the same time pressure is applied to open the slit 34 to thereby allow the substance to escape from the cavity 30.

When used, with a very thin liquid, it will be found that a large quantity of liquid will flood out of the slit 34 and down around the ribs 38. This flood of liquid will flow into the channels between the ribs 38 and onto the surface to be spread and, due to its thin consistency, will tend to spread evenly over the path covered by the spreader ribs 38. The retaining walls 48 tend to keep the liquid within the path of the spreader ribs 38, sothat the latter are able to distribute the liquid in a series of extending channels.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a container top applicator of the type having a hollow body portion adaptable to be placed in communication with the liquid-holding interior of a container, a substantially flat front 1 wall having a slit defined therein for communica tion with the interior of said body portion, a spreader surface in the form of a serrated member mounted on one end of said front wall adjacent said slot and longitudinally spaced from said slot, said spreader surface projecting over the one end of said front wall in a series of spaced projections, and a pair of retaining walls formed adjacent the edges of said front wall and projecting outwardly therefrom from a point adjacent said spreader surface to a point adjacent th end of said wall opposite to said spreader surface, said retaining walls and said front wall defining a trough into which liquid is discharged through said slit from the interior of said body portion.

2. An applicator device of the character described comprising a rubber-like body of hollow construction having opposite side walls of flexible structure and a closed end wall, a transversely extending slit in one of said side walls, a spreader surface in the form of spaced ribs integral with said end wall and projecting from the exterior surface of said end wall, marginal flange structure projecting from the face of one of said flexible side walls having said slit defined therein to provide a trough with said face to direct fluid discharged through said slit from within said hollow body into the space between said ribs constituting said spreader surface.

DARRELL R. WILEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 618,845 Crosby Feb. '7, 1899 933,938 Windle et a1. Sept. 14, 1909 943,234 Brooks Dec. 14, 1909 1,565,179 Major Dec. 8, 1925 1,625,863 McLarty Apr. 26, 1927 1,860,790 Schultheiss May 31, 1932 1,887,447 Balinger Nov. 8, 1932 2,014,149 Stafford Sept. 10, 1935 2,083,551 Balinger June 15, 1937 2,147,458 Rohland Feb. 14, 1939 2,442,503 Melnikofi June 1, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 110,540 Sweden June 5, 1943 351,683 Italy Aug. 18, 1937 467,245 Great Britain 1- June 14, 1937 

